Underground Conveyor Innovation At Its Finest

As demand rises for refurbished and more economical conveyor equipment, West River has met that demand with new, innovative products and ideas to make customers already existing products better. In recent months, West River engineers and production planners have worked with more customers to refurbish their equipment with upgrades and add-ons to make it more functional while also cost-effective for their operation. Because coal and potash markets have become volatile in recent years, most companies are looking for ways to cut costs when purchasing conveyor equipment without jeopardizing quality. Pete Savage, VP International Sales for West River Conveyors said “close collaboration with customers during the design or redesign phase has helped make our products superior to our competitors. We work very closely and are easily reached when customers have questions or ideas for their product design. It is important for us to remain committed to listening to customers needs.”

Most recently, West River engineers refurbished several 60” belt width Dual 500HP Voith TPKL conveyors for a St. Louis-based coal company that included use of their power bases but added significant upgrades to the pulleys, width and structure of the conveyor. Shop Foreman Ryan Lester said “This project was extensive and required our fabricators to spend a large amount of time making it all happen. The pulley shafts were modified to shorten the overall width of the drive and new, MSHA-approved lagging was installed on the pulleys. All of the components on the power bases were removed, inspected and repaired as necessary.” The customer wanted several add-ons to the conveyor to include a uniquely designed “V” bottom dribble chute that allowed for center flow of material off of the conveyor. In the end, additional guarding was constructed to enclose the drive for safety. Projects like this one have allowed West River to maintain a competitive edge in the conveyor manufacturing market. Joe Street, VP Sales and Co-Owner of West River said, “In a time when many conveyor equipment companies are downsizing, we are continuing to grow because of the quality of our equipment, competitive pricing and the added personal touch.”